Humans Before the Industrial Age: A Desirable Ecological Goal?

Abstract

All of us have experienced the darkness and felt despair. Our civilization’s problems seem beyond measure—an exploding population, pollution, energy shortages, climate change, terrorism, and nuclear proliferation are among those threats. There is nowhere in space to flee to; Earth is filled up, the moon may be waterless, Mars is a lifeless desert, and the stars are just too distant.

We are the music-makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams; World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams: Yet we are the movers and shakers Of the world, forever, it seems.

Arthur O’Shaughnessy, from “Ode”